The Legends of Heron Songs
by Levity
Summary: Sing me a song with not a note of sadness!


**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem**

-o-

Every galdr held a different story.

Some told of legends, of religion, of the goddess. Each single galdr held, compressed inside of it's very core, it's own magical measures, lyrics, emotion. There were songs of exultance, songs of celebration, others of despair and mourning. The galdr varied in magic and, in most cases, the amount depended on the number of herons performing it. The herons' voice range and musical repretoire were both equally as large, making such possiblities of anything seemingly infinite plus a myriad.

Because of this, the sacred galdrs could do all from inceasing vitality to purifying corrupted minds, from saving lives to utterly destroying them. The latter, known as the 'forbidden magic', was strictly prohibited in ever being unleashed for as long as the heron clan themselves lived, as not only would it have ruined the reputation of the peace and peity the herons lived in but also _of_ them, which would've warped their very existance. Regardless, no member of the heron Laguz would ever have even considered such a terrible thing.

Alas, despite the strict warnings that had always in turn been responded to by strict obedience in full-fledged form, there was in fact one occurance of a heron coming so very close to performing aforementioned 'forbidden magic'. It had been twenty years after the Serenes Massacre. A young heron prince had been so obsessed in getting his revenge from the humans for the horrific genocide they had committed on the heron clan. They had always been so immaculate, from all crime and acts of sin, yet one false accusation had had nearly all of them murdered. This young heron's soul burned and seethed irate so long, and once the humans came in sight of his very eyes, he was mere feet from the altar before he had been stopped by the brave hawk king, with his eyes and his ears. This resulted in the discovery of another survivor, his younger sister, and it was very soon after that the cold, dark, and hollow Serenes Forest was restored by such a galdr the herons were revered and remembered for.

-o-

Three years later, Reyson yawned, then stretched his wings, which were aching slightly. Had to get his voice ready, too. He wanted to get his fortes right, his tenor-ranged voice prepared. It was morning, and already he could sense a hectic battle coming, so he had to get his chanting in check. Straightening up his long, blonde hair- how difficult it had been every once in a while!- he slowly made his way to the section of the forest where he could sing in solitude. How lovely it was... when the soft music made it's very gradual crescendo into it's full-fledged melody. He had to get the dynamics right. Soft, loud... soft once again. Everything had to be correctly placed for the song's highest effect...

The white prince paused briefly for rest, to catch his breath. Very few could possibly understand the fact that singing was in actuality very exhausting. It wasn't just the heron's frail frame- long-term singing could tire anyone, even the strongest of warriors and the most masterful experts of the intricate art that was singing. Reyson sat against a tree's giant, stable trunk for support and stared up at the woods' canopy. How tranquil it was, if it were only to be just one fleeting moment, it had still been worth it to lie there under the trees after a sweet, sweet voice exercise... no other feeling of elation and rhapsody was equal to it, to forget about the tragedy of the war and killing and the hazed, chaotic emotions that made him so weak and uneased as of late.

A few leaves fell down gently. Reyson's ears picked something up. It was so unclear at first. A silent zephyr brushed through a few branches, causing a slight and calming rustling as the bird laguz worked his way back up to standing as slowly and gradual as the rising dynamics of music. He attempt to listen hard, to block out all other sound, but it was futile. There had beem a chorus of birds twittering up above, more breezes flittering in through the trees and maybe an occasional wolf howl. He merely shook it off for this moment, and began another galdr in commentine. Most galdrs were in fact performed in this pace, though there were a lot that were at a much slower rhythm, some even changing tempos in between measures. Herons took such conscientiousness in their singing that nothing else could usually break the threads of the trance until the recital was over. And yet, the strange feeling succeeded in being the rare cause of an interval in his singing.

... Sniffling...

What was that? He couldn't quite catch it completely. Herons didn't have the very acute hearing to what Ulki had, the ability to hear grass growing on the other side of the country. It would have been nice to possess such a feat...

Reyson wandered aimlessly forward, the strange sound now a confirmation to him. At least he wasn't going crazy, he thought, though it still was near to completely inaudible. Nonetheless, he _had_ sensed some_one_...

It was that unusual balance of chaos and order not commonly found in any human, however he could tell it was a beorc. He was certain of it. He slightly recognized the voice, too. However... there was something that perterbed him slightly. What happened on the day before the morrow? It was something he very possibly forgot. Voice.. the voice. It was a rough surmise, however he was almost sure of it now.. who it belonged to. He very carefully hovered over a few thorny thickets, avoiding anything that would inflict harm to his delicate body, then landed at an area he noticed was less occupied with foliage. The noise was clear as crystal, now, and the source sat upon the stump of a fallen tree...

The younger sister of the mighty Commander Ike hadn't seemed to notice Reyson at first. No, but more rather she looked to be lost hopelessly in a realm of sorrow. Her head was hidden in her arms as her smaller body shook violently with sobs. Her light brown hair looked as unkempt as Reyson's sometimes had been. The heron prince about five feet away could sense the very torment in her soul, as all herons could do, albeit was still attempting to recall what the cause of her terrible sadness had been.

It hit him like a storm of sharp, pelting hail right then.

On the day previous of the present, Boyd had died.

Mist's feelings for the mercenary warrior were becoming painfully obvious, too. Ike hadn't seem to mind the two growing closer with every minute, and that they argued less and less.. but now, it was too late. Mist had been too late, and it wasn't only the usual sense of guilt healers felt when they weren't soon enough. When the sages ambushed him she could do nothing but watch and wail in sheer terror...

Reyson tried to block the horrifying thought out as he approached the girl still oblivious to his presence. He wanted to help her, to soothe her regret and her lamenting for the one she loved and cared for almost as much as her own brother, if not more. The heron knew the way, a story of close adoration and devastating loss...

"Mist," Reyson said quietly. She looked up, eyes still filled with tears.

"H-huh?" She stammered weakly. Reyson knelt down in front of her, wings folding carefully behind him, against his back.

"Would you.. like to hear a song?"

The girl hesitated very briefly, staring into the heron's solumn stare, then nodded mutely.

They say all of the life in the forest ceased their usual activities to take at least one faint listen to the aria that filled the normal air with grace, a moving tale uttered in the tounge of old, a hum that slowly evolved into lyrics of a song of life. Beginning like life itself. Everything started out small to grow into something of great significant importance, of beauty. Reyson held Mist, daughter of Elena who helped his own sister long ago in a time of pure evil and darkness, and sang to her as how her own mother would have, his lullaby a mosiac of emotion that would soothe the most troubled hearts of anyone who'd come to hear a single measure, a single note. It rose from one octave to another, then fell back down. He didn't stop until Ike's sister herself had finally made her way into a slumber of forgiveness, and until her own balance of chaos and order had restored itself to it's normal, healthy condition once more.

-o-

_"Sing me to sleep with a sweet serenading, oh, so gently, oh, so gently, from sound to silence fading..."_- Fa Una Canzone

-//-


End file.
